He stated his case on Twitter, referencing Swanson’s WEC 37 victory over Hiroyuki Takaya, who’s one of Kawajiri’s buddies.

As he wrote on Twitter: “I want to fight with @CubSwanson. He won the hiroyuki takaya in WEC. Takaya is my friend.”

Swanson didn’t directly respond to the tweet, but the four-time “Fight of the Night” winner and two-time “Knockout of the Night” bonus collector has been anxious for a fight. He believes he’s worthy of a title shot, though champ Jose Aldo is still on the mend following a broken foot he suffered in an August title win over Chan Sung Jung. Swanson’s also campaigned for a rematch with Ricardo Lamas (13-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC), a fellow title hopeful who’s won four straight bouts. Lamas submitted Swanson at UFC on FOX 1 in late 2011.

Kawajiri, though, certainly has some name recognition. The Japanese fighter, who wants to fight on the UFC’s January card in Singapore, is 4-0 since a drop to featherweight. The 14-year pro has faced some of the biggest names in the sport and owns past victories over the likes of upcoming UFC lightweight contender Josh Thompson, Gesias Cavalcante, Joachim Hansen and Luiz Firmino.

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